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As layoffs and AI-fueled job anxiety continue to rock the tech sector, “quiet cracking” is gaining traction –as employees grapple with overwork in the aftermath of downsizing.
Many face job uncertainty, as AI-driven automation and repeated layoffs fuel fears about the long-term viability of their roles.
At the same time, the hiring landscape remains cautious – with companies slowing recruitment and restructuring teams, leaving employees trapped in positions that are increasingly demanding yet uncertain.
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What is quiet cracking?
Quiet cracking is the “persistent feeling of workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance, and an increased desire to quit,” according to a new report from cloud learning platform TalentLMS, which coined the term.
Unlike its distant cousin, quiet quitting, where employees intentionally coast by doing the bare minimum at work, those who experience quiet cracking feel trapped in their roles due to the current job market.
According to TalentLMs’ report, more than half, 54%, of surveyed employees say they experience some level of quiet cracking. About 47% said they rarely or never feel that way.
“Unlike burnout, it doesn’t always manifest in exhaustion. Unlike quiet quitting, it doesn’t show up in performance metrics immediately. But it is just as dangerous,” the report noted.
Kevin Judge, founder and CEO at business advisory firm iNOBL, noted that “although quiet cracking is a new term, it’s not a new thing. Disengaged employees have been a problem plaguing organizations since the dawn of time.”
Kevin Ford, a retiree, corroborated this by explaining how he had experienced quiet cracking in a tech job 15 years ago – though the term had not been invented yet.
He explained that “for quiet cracking to happen, two things have to be at play: There has to be a reason why you think you can’t leave the company, and there also has to be a point of dissatisfaction.”
Trapped by layoff turbulence
For Ford, there are many reasons why people will feel like it’s impossible to leave a job. In the context of recent industry layoffs during an economically uncertain time, it makes sense to him that this phenomenon is now on the rise.
The economic environment in 2025 has been highly unstable. Surging inflation, significant increases in interest rates, and the possibility of a recession have shifted business priorities, which, in combination with layoffs, have heightened doubts about long-term career security.
Ongoing layoffs leave employees questioning not just their current roles but also their long-term prospects within the company. According to TalentLMs’ report, 82% of employees feel secure in their jobs today, but that drops to 62% when asked about their future with the company, and 38% reporting uncertainty about their jobs.
Across the tech sector, major companies have repeatedly turned to large-scale layoffs and restructuring – ranging from Microsoft and Amazon to Google, Shopify, and Klarna – showing the depth of workforce instability and amplifying uncertainty for employees.
Jeff Watkins, chief technology officer at CreateFuture, echoed Judge’s sentiment. He explained that “after multiple rounds of layoffs, employees can feel like the sword of Damocles is hanging over them, fearing they could be next, which leads to a loss of psychological safety and increased hyper-vigilance.”
“We’re now in an employer marketplace, employees are staying in jobs that they don’t find inspiring. Employees are desperate to have, and maintain, employment,” Judge said.
Instead of anticipating a clear path forward, they face an uncertain future, concentrating on short-term goals, self-preservation, and keeping themselves out of the spotlight.
“So what do people do in this situation? They put their head down, do the work that’s asked of them and try to fly under the radar so they can keep their job,” Judge said.
The AI dilemma
For Ford, the second driver of quiet cracking was uncertainty about whether he was still adding value to his work and the company – a concern that, in today’s tech sector, often arises in the context of AI adoption.
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Judge explained that “when people provide value, they have a strong sense of self worth, happiness increases, and so does engagement.”
Watkins believes that the AI adoption into the software life cycle has left developers with a feeling of displacement due to their valuable visible tasks like coding, testing, reviews, docs, and deployments now being completed faster with AI handling the simpler parts, and, in some cases, entirely being automated by AI. He added that this sometimes makes human input feel less earned.
“The satisfaction of solving some problems from first principles has been replaced by pasting a prompt and reviewing generated output,” Watkins added.
“This then leads to ambiguity around what real work really consists of, are developers consigned to being custodians of AI agents, reviewing their code, acting more as an SME than a developer?” he added.
The warning signs of quiet cracking
To prevent quiet cracking within their teams, industry experts advise managers to watch for behavioral warning signs in employees.
According to Judge, warning signs include:
- Withdrawal and reduced collaboration.
- Changes in communication style.
- Missed deadlines and declining quality of work.
- Overworking, such as overtime or taking on more than they can handle.
“If an employee has a history of being engaged such as volunteering for projects or opportunities, speaking up in meetings, sharing ideas, being innovative, spending extra time on work related items, and now seems to be doing less, volunteering less, getting by in their work, becoming quiet, doing ‘just enough’, then they might just be quiet cracking,” Judge added.
What can managers do?
All is not lost – managers can rise to the challenge and support employees showing early signs of quiet cracking.
Judge emphasized that when an employee shows changes in behavior or performance, managers should approach the situation with empathy and curiosity rather than judgment.
“Have a non-confrontational conversation about the changes being seen. Tell them what you think you’re seeing, compared to what you’re used to, and ask them ‘what’s going on.’ Don’t assume. Don’t judge. Simply, approach the situation like you would a human being you’d like to understand better and help. Now is not the time for strong-armed tactics,” he explained.
Beyond 1:1 conversations, managers are encouraged to maintain open communication across their teams, he explained.
Judge recalled his experience during a large merger, where weekly meetings helped surface and clarify rumors, provide updates, and answer employee questions.
While these meetings did not solve all concerns, they reassured employees that they were being heard and that their concerns mattered, offering some hope in an uncertain environment.
Watkins highlighted the broader role of managers in sustaining engagement and well-being.
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He advised regular check-ins, active listening, and empathetic conversations to understand workload pressures, engagement levels, and employees’ sense of purpose.
In a world where layoffs and AI are reshaping the tech landscape, attentive, empathetic management isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential for keeping teams engaged, valued, and resilient in the face of quiet cracking.
